1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process of killing parasitic and other photobiotic plants.
2. Description of the Prior
Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that survives by draining nutrients from host trees. Mistletoe has roots which imbed in the nutrient bearing layers of a host tree and which literally sap the lifeblood from the tree. A moderate infestation of mistletoe upon a tree causes distorted and weakened growth of the tree and a severe infestation can cause the tree to lose limbs and may eventually kill the tree. Annual wood losses in the United States alone due to the Arceuthobium species of the mistletoe family are estimated at 500 million cubic feet.
One process of controlling mistletoe is the removal of young mistletoe plants from the host tree before the young mistletoe roots become too deeply embedded into the tree's limbs. The entire root system of the mistletoe must be removed since even small root fragments will produce new growth. Mistletoe having deep root growth is commonly removed only by the drastic measure of removing the limb of the tree to which the mistletoe is attached. Defoliant chemicals generally are not used for destroying mistletoe because the chemicals can be taken into the host tree and can kill the tree.